Conveyor

Abstract

A conveyor conveys a tray along a transportation path including a linear path and a curved path connected to the linear path. The conveyor includes an orientation assist member configured to assist a change of the conveyance orientation of the tray when the tray is conveyed from the linear path to the curved path. The orientation assist member is provided on the linear path on the upstream side of conveyance from a starting position S of the curved path on the transportation path.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A conveyor for conveying a conveyed object along a transportation path including a linear path and a curved path connected to the linear path, the conveyor comprising:
 an orientation assist member configured to assist a change of conveyance orientation of the conveyed object when the conveyed object is conveyed from the linear path to the curved path, 
 wherein the curved path includes right-side rollers and left-side rollers to move the conveyed object to the curved path, 
 wherein the orientation assist member is provided between the right-side rollers constituting the curved path and the left-side rollers constituting the curved path on the linear path on an upstream side of conveyance from a starting position of the curved path on the transportation path, 
 wherein the orientation assist member includes a rotating body, and 
 wherein the rotating body is configured to freely change a direction of rotation by combining a movement in a conveying direction of the conveyed object on the linear path and a movement in a predetermined angular direction with respect to the conveying direction of the conveyed object on the linear path. 
 
     
     
       2. The conveyor according to  claim 1 , wherein the orientation assist member is provided in a predetermined range around a position on the linear path, the position being separated at a predetermined distance on the upstream side of conveyance from the starting position of the curved path on the transportation path, and
 the predetermined distance is a distance corresponding to a quarter of a length of the conveyed object in a conveying direction. 
 
     
     
       3. The conveyor according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the rotating body is further configured to freely change the direction of rotation according to the change of the conveyance orientation of the conveyed object to the curved path to assist the change of the conveyance orientation of the conveyed object during conveyance of the conveyed object to the curved path. 
 
     
     
       4. The conveyor according to  claim 3 , wherein the rotating body is rotated in contact with the conveyed object. 
     
     
       5. The conveyor according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the rotating body is further configured to freely change the direction of rotation according to the change of the conveyance orientation of the conveyed object to the curved path to assist the change of the conveyance orientation of the conveyed object during conveyance of the conveyed object to the curved path. 
 
     
     
       6. The conveyor according to  claim 5 , wherein the rotating body is rotated in contact with the conveyed object. 
     
     
       7. The conveyor according to  claim 1 , wherein the rotating body is provided on the upstream side of conveyance from the starting position of the curved path on the transportation path such that a rear half of the conveyed object undergoes the change of the conveyance orientation to the curved path at the same time as a front half of the conveyed object undergoes the change of the conveyance orientation to the curved path.